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6RACE BETWEEN THE COMET AND THE SILVER FLASHARTHUR MORGAN LANGWORTHYC.XPERT aerial opinion was dividedns to whose model aeroplane was'the queen of the Pralrleville air.Some held that Frank Williams' Wrightmodel Comet " should be awarded thopalm, while others maintained that JimSpencer's Blcrlot model Silver Flash'was entitled to the glory 'of being theswiftest flier. \u25a0\u25a0•.'.'When Frank Williams learned ofthis state of the public's mind he wasgreatly nettled. lie knew that theComet, proper condition, was equal to- the Silver Flash "any old" time," andto settle the dispute forever he' boldly' challenged Jim Spencer, builder and-!owner of the Silver Flat^h, to a specialmatch race. •""' ;;.luU-The. formal ; arr«ngcemnts were conducted with po^.p and solemnity, ns befitted such arijmportant occasion! Thenegotiations took place : in Frank'saerial workshop down in the .balloon'park and aerial trial grounds =in thecow pusturo. ..Thn Pralrieville areo'club attended in a body and watchedthe/ two principals gravely evolve the\u0084. Bet of articles governing the contest..The race was to be run off in ten ,-{flights, the neroplane making the great.esf total distance being the ' winner.When it came to pitching on' the proper'place-to fly Frank had one' of his inspirations."^ ' .' . v ? '; "Such an important sporting eventas this should be worth something; tolook at. Now, if we could only ralso.a little money for tlie^ bene/lt of theclub for. it," lie suggested. > •: "But how are you going to make nny\u25a0\u25a0j,thing pay outdoors when all the fences '\u25a0\u25a0; around -the big lots are barbed wire ,you can See through, and the roads are- free," interrupted Jim contemptuously.; , "We might, get the track," went onFrank, alluding to the large trottingcourse at the fair grounds. "My dadbelongs to. the County Fair association «o"nd. I guess he could "get it for us/'for one iday, before the fair opens, tendays from now." ,"My father belongs, too," added NedWilson, ; "and mine also," cried Toni•Kennedy. , ..'...• . "' "That's fine. With a 'pull' as big asthis" we ought to land It, and the track'sa bully place to fly in," exclaimed\u25a0 Frank enthusiastically. : idea was ,t Quickly adopted. The ' meeting .broke'\u25a0;•\u25a0;, "P. and the \ various members - wenthome to enlist their fathers in the plan,to secure the track. . \u25a0^.;- > ""* ;.-. The • next meeting of the Aero club. was not quite so dignified, and mostof the pomp had departed. For it:: developed that, the boys', arch enemy, -old John Turner, owned a majority of• the Fair 'association's stock : jand he"turneddown" the request of the boys'' fathers absolutely.: , ; "GJuess "we'll have to hold the race' ln ,< * ne ba V loon park here and give upcharging anything,", remarked Frankgloomily, !which resolution was finally/.adopted, the date , of the match beingmade subject tojhe weather and the'anemometer. Tho anemometer was the ;club's latest acquisition— -a little machine equipped : with movable "vanes,with cups attached to the" ends, thatV measured the velocity of the wind. Youcan see just what It's llko by' looking. In the dictionary for Its picture.And then the weather, got cranky. Itrained for the next few days, and then\a Btrong hot blast set across the praJriothat made a race impossible, and someof the oldest inhabitants began to keepa fatherly eye, on their cyclone- cellars, as It rolled blinding dust oloudgover the plains.- But nothing serioushappened,; though the anemometer registered some high marks. And whatwith Frank going to the city to visithia cousin Joe for a week end, nearlyten', days elapsed before the greatmatch was flown.Everybody who, was not helping togut exhibits. ready for the county fairname to th« balloon park that eventfulafternoon. Ned Wifson acted as referee,and when he blew his whistle at 2 p. in,both rivals lined up at one end of- the36 foot starting platform of smoothboards laid at the edge of the field.As both model aeroplanes had wheel 1bases they started themselves. Theywere set side by side at tho startingpoint and their wound up propellersreleased at the game time. This causedthem to glide along the smooth runwayon their wheel bases until the propellers had speeded up' fast enough to makethn machines leave the ground and"take tho air," with the cheering crowdafter them.While the efficient Aero club policeforce shoved the crowd back the oltlcialTHE SAN FRANCISCO CALL', SUNDAY, JULY 31, 1910.— THE JUNTOR CALLmeasurer performed his duty. The results left no doubt that both airshipshad been brought to. the limit of perfection:. The Silver Flash was found tflhave made a scant two feet more thanthe Comet and took the honors for thefirst "flight with 212 feet 1 inch.The second flfght reversed the:standing, the Comet going to the front witha few feet -lead. Flight No. 3, an unusually long one,,; brought the twoaerM fliers ."wing and wing" .to theend of the field. As it had been agreedthai the ..trial was to be straightawayinstead of turning back down the otherside, of the balloon park the two rivalsflew ; over : the /fence on flight No. 4down the road that ran near the field. .: So perfectly were the two aeroplaneshandled, that, but a few feet separatedthem. \when. the' referee Whistled CforNo. 5. It happened that Jim'smachine had lit In the middle of theroad ; in 'landing .from the previousflight, while the Comet had come, downin the grassy footpath. , Now, accordingto .the rules the machine must bestarted on; the next flight from theexact; spot "where it lit at the end ofthe previous flight. . • •Jim> wound: up the, single propellerthe llO^revolutlons to give its connecting.' rubber ..//.-band* motor the propertautness, walked-., over.; to the jspotmarkecT by the official measurer in thecenter, of the road and wa« about torelease the propeller; when a team appeared around a little curve ahead ofhim: \u25a0..:\u25a0\u25a0 ;;. ,\u25a0••;••."/>The clump of tall bushes growingalong the - curve hid. the team's approach, and when 'the boys saw. whoseit was; they all let. out a surprised yell,which;, startled [the big farm ho*ses, already trotting; at a smart pace downthe slight grade. .Old man Turnerhandled the reins and he was engagedin a \u25a0 very important proceeding — escorting: his famous"*- blue ribbon sowEmpress and her seven young shoatsover to the fair. . The boys could seeEmpress* large pink nose sticking outover, the side of -the straw bedded farmwagon, and a chorus of derisive gruntsfollowed up their yells.And at that nothing would have happened if Jim Spencer had stepped outof the road as he should have done.AN OLD HUNGARIAN TALEOnce upon a time the creatures livingwith ;a farmer grew tired of servinghim, and one and all deserted him. Cowami horse, cock and hen, duck- andgoose, left his dwelling. Only the dogremained behind, faithful to his master.They wandered about all day long incompany and when night came, findinga 'deserted hut In the forest, they entered In and took possession of it.The cat laid herself down in the stillwarm ashes on the hearth. Horse andcow stretched themselves out on someloose straw in one corner. Tlje duckwaddled under a bench, the goose undera table, the hen flew up on top of acupboard, the cock on the chimneypiece. Just as they had comfortablysettled themselves for the night a packof wolves came prowling about the hut,and sent the oldest and strongest oneamong them into it to see who it waswho had taken possession there.When the wolf came. ln at the door hasaw the cat's eyes glowing In the darkand took them for live coals on thehearth. Rut when he came up closerthe cat tlnw at him, nearly scratchinghis eyes out. The horse got up fromthe straw and gave him ,i kick In theribs. And when the wolf turned toflee from the hut the cow butted him"Don't let 'er go! You'll scare thehorses!" cried Frank warningly as hosaw what Jim was about to do."Serve him right, the old kill-joy!"answered Jim, whose mischevious spiritwas now fully aroused, and beforeFrank could stop him he launched thoSilver. Flash into, the air almost in thefaces of the approaching horses.The whirring of the, rising air craft'spropeller was drowned by the frightened whinnies of the maddened horses.They reared in* the air, then swervedviolently to the right and bolted!Tlie heavy wagon wheels struck abig bowlder by the roadside and catapulted old Turner right off "his seatupon the soft turf, while tne spectators stood paralyzed at this sudden disaster. '\u25a0 Xi':^-i ;-v ;' •.Tnrner scrambled to his feet unhurtanß started after the runaway team, asdid everybody, else, although you maybe sure the boys were mighty carefulnot to get within reach of the infuriated old farmer, whose pigs were thepride of his , life.And things looked tough for the Empress and; her "royal 'family, for. theteam traveled faster every minute asthe grade Increased. Turner groanedas. he saw the flying horses approachthe creek road and Frank heard the oldman pant to, himself. "That's what I getfor not lettin' them'young whelps havethe track. It's all up with Empy Ifthey take the creek road."Empy was Turner's pet name for hisillustrious pig, and a cry of horrorrose from him when the team promptlyturned into the creek road. .* Thenceon it was downhill to the ford at Dutchcreek, an ordinarily shallow streamknee deep, but now swollen by the unusual rainfall and annual summerfreshet from tho melting snows of thedistant mountains. ."They'll drown! It's too deep to ford!"walled the old. man as the team approached the creek on a dead run, withthe chasing crowd not far behind.Frank overheard Turner's cry of . grief,and the, boy's quick brain grasped abrand new idea.•Splash! The horses struck the water,dragging the wagonload of squealingfreight In after', them. A few feetfrom the water's edge they went overagainst the wall with her horns. Thehen sprang, clucking loudly, on hisback, while the duck and goose nippedhis legs with their bills, and just as he,frightened and bewildered with the reception he had got, managed to escapeout of the door, the cock on the chimney piece burst out with loud, jubilantcrowing. Master Wolf came back tohis comrades In a very sad plight."That was a. nice task you gave me,"he said reproachfully. "The hut is tenanted by witches. When I came In andwent up to* the hearth, where I sawsome coals burning, the vixen of a cookflew at me and nearly scratched myeyes out, tho groom got up from thecorner where he had been lying andalmost broke my ribs with a blow ofhis flail, while the farmer himself,seizing a pitchfork, thrust, me rudelyagainst the wall. His wife struck meon the back with her distaff, and twoof her maids, crying 'Back, back,' stuckme again and again In the legs withtheir shearH. And just as I was fleeingfrom the house, another maid, from aroom under the roof, cried out in a terrible voice, 'Bring him to me — to me.' "On hearing this tale of their scoutthe whole pack of wolves took to theirheels and ran off as fast as they could.their heads and began to swim, whilethe water poured into the cracks in the-wagon box and tho squeals echoed withthe combined protests of those -blueblooded porkers as the water rose.The crowd reached ther bank as thefirst, pigs, were washed out of the,wagon. And then Frank proceeded, tocarry out his new idea. He turned tothe old' man, who was helplessly bewailing his loss, and spoke a few words.'Turner looked at him in wonder— andthen nodded. Frank called the . boysaround him- and" said:"If those pigs have to swim any distance they'll cut their own throats withtheir sharp forehoofs! We're all goodswimmers. Some of you chaps go afterthe shoats, while Jim, Ned'and Greggytry to keep Empress from going overboard from the wagon body. Tom. youand I'll steer the horses ashore.' Comeon, now! Take- my word, there's amighty good reason, if you don't likeTurner," and he pulled the club to oneside while he whispered something tothem.No turning back after that! Frankdived into the; creek, clothes and all.and struck 'out for the strugglinghorses. --The others followed him, andthe struggling piglets were all easilyrescued before they'd harmed "themselves. 1 The "royal life savers" alsomanaged to keep Empress from throw-Ing: her huge bulk out of the waterfilled wagon body, \u25a0" which stlir floatedhowever. And finally Frank and Tom'managed to steer the swimming horsesback to shore, where they scrambledup on the bank. They came to ahalt;: "with the wet, andsquealing Empress still in the wagronbehind them. Eight : pigs, two horsesand one wagon were thus restored to*old man Turner, all safe *nd * sound,and not a bit worse for their unexpected bath.Frank now dispatched Bill to Turner's farm for another wagon and thenthe two rival fliers and the "gallery"that had witnessed these .tremendousevents walked back to the scene of therace. When the official measurer hadprocured the 'figures of that momentous fifth flight of Jim's Frankproceeded to take his own fifth flight.Then he consulted earnestly with Jimand the, other members, and turned tothe "gallery" while he announced:• "The first section of the great matchrace has now been flown! The SilverFlash leads, with a total for the fiveflights of 1,161 feet 4 Inches. TheComet has flown 1.148 feet flat.". (Cheersat the announcement, which suddenlychange to great cries of disappointmentas Frank continues.) "I also wish toannounce that the second, section of thegreat match, which Includes the remaining five flights, will be run off to.morrow at 2:30 p. m., .at the CountyFair trotting track. Admission, fivecents."That was thren days before the fairopened and It would not Interfere withthe fair •preparations, anyway, as thotrack had a direct entrance from theoutside."Don't you worry," said Frank afterward. "Old Turner'll keep his word.Well, If he don't we'll only have to flyit off In the old place. I'm sure some ofus would have tried to save the pigs,anyhow. I know I would, but it juatstruck me he might 'fall' for a bargainto save 'cm — and it worked!"You'll be glad to know that Turnerdid keep his word, the "second section"was flown at the traok. and that $11.65was taken in at the gate for the benefit of the Aero club.And who finally won? Why, theComet, of course, but not until the lustflight, when she succeeded In distancingher rival by Just three feet.